Kumaraswamy Kamaraj (15 July 1903 – 2 October 1975) was a founding leader of the Indian National Congress who was known as a kingmaker in Indian politics in the 1960s. He was the President of the Indian National Congress for two terms from 1964 to 1967. Kumaraswamy Kamaraj was the third Chief Minister of Madras State (present-day Tamil Nadu) from 13 April 1954 to 2 October 1963 and a Member of the Lok Sabha from 1952-1954 and 1966-1975. He played an active role in the Indian independence movement. After the death of Jawaharlal Nehru, he played an important role in the management of the party as the Congress President. As Chief Minister of Madras, Kamaraj is credited with providing free education to the underprivileged and implementing the mid-day meal scheme in schools. In the year 1976, he was honored with Bharat Ratna.
Kumaraswamy Kamaraj was born on July 15, 1903 at Virudhunagar in the state of Tamil Nadu. His father's name was Kumaraswamy Nadar and mother's name was Sivakami Amalane. He got admission in the school in the year 1907 but when his father died at the age of 6, he left his schooling incomplete and started helping his mother in supporting the family.
During his teenage years, Kamaraj started participating in public meetings and processions of the Home Rule movement and developed an interest in the political situation of the time by reading newspapers. The incident of Jallianwala Bagh massacre proved to be decisive in his life. Influenced by this incident, he decided to take part in the Indian independence movement.
In the year 1920, he became a full-time active worker of the Indian National Congress. In the year 1921, he organized meetings of Congress leaders in Virudhunagar. He was eager to meet Mahatma Gandhi and met him on September 21, 1921 during Gandhiji's visit to Madurai. He toured the villages for the propaganda of the Congress. In 1922, as part of the Non-Cooperation Movement, he opposed the visit of the Prince of Wales to India and led the protest organized at Madras. In June 1930, he was sentenced to two years imprisonment for participating in the salt satyagraha at Vedaranyam parallel to the Dandi March.
Kumaraswamy Kamaraj led a vigorous campaign in the state against the then Governor of Madras State, Sir Arthur Hope, to raise funds for the Second World War. In December 1940, he was arrested at Gantoor and sent to the Central Jail in Vellore for giving speeches against fund raising operations. It was during his imprisonment that he was elected as a councilor in the Virudhunagar municipality. After nine months of imprisonment, he resigned from the membership of the Municipal Corporation as soon as he was released from prison in November 1941.
In 1942, Kamaraj participated in the Mumbai session of the All India Congress Committee and took responsibility for disseminating the propaganda materials of the Quit India movement. The police ordered the arrest of all the leaders who participated in the convention, under which they were arrested in August 1942. He was released in June 1945 after spending three years under house arrest. This was his last jail trip. Kamaraj was imprisoned six times during the British rule for his pro-independence activities.
Kumaraswamy Kamaraj was awarded Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor in 1976. Kumaraswamy Kamaraj died on October 2, 1975.
